Oskaloosa News Recap For February 16th, 2021
Local News – Local and State News
Local Sports – Local Sports
Indians Network
Statesmen Sports Network
North Mahaska Warhawks
Oskaloosa News Links
Obituaries
Radar and Road Conditions
Local Traffic Cameras
National and World News
After more than a month offline, the social media platform relaunched yesterday with a new web hosting service.
Last month, Amazon Web Services suspended the platform for “failing to moderate egregious content” in relation to the Jan. 6 Capital riot.
Also, earlier this month Parler terminated former CEO John Matze. Following the relaunch, the company said “Parler’s Executive Committee is conducting a thorough search for a permanent CEO to lead Parler as it continues to grow and expand its reach and impact.”
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The Oregon Department of Education is encouraging teachers to register for a training that takes racism out of math.
An ODE newsletter sent out last week advertises a course which is designed for middle school teachers to dismantle “racism in mathematics.” The toolkit includes a list of ways “white supremacy culture infiltrates math classrooms.” Examples include: “the focus on getting the ‘right’ answer” and “requiring students to ‘show their work’.”
The document states that “Upholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuates objectivity as well as fear of open conflict.”
Another toolkit encourages teachers to come up with “at least two answers that might solve [a] problem” and to “identify and challenge the ways that math is used to uphold capitalist, imperialist and racist views.”
Oh, and another section of the training appears to justify anti-cop rhetoric. It reads: “In some cases, the prejudices of oppressed people (‘you can’t trust the police’) are necessary for survival.”
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot is criticizing the Chicago Teachers Union.
Lightfoot said her office has “maintained peace with almost every single unit,” except the Chicago Teachers union, which she said has aspirations “akin to a political party.”
Her comments came after the CTU finally approved a proposal last week to reopen the city’s public elementary and middle schools next month. Amid the battle, educators expressed concerns over school safety, as parents and families dealt with stress and uncertainty over their children’s academic future.
Lightfoot is hoping to meet with the union soon to discuss reopening high schools so seniors can have a “normal experience” during their final year.
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Minneapolis backtracked its push to defund the city’s police department on Friday.
Residents begged the city to hire more officers, citing “longer response times and increased violent crime” after more than 200 officers quit or went on extended medical leave after George Floyd’s death and subsequent rioting.
The City Council voted unanimously to approve $6.4 million in additional funding that police had requested. The department says it hopes to have 674 officers available by the end of the year, with 28 currently in the hiring process.
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The New York City subway stabber has been caught!
Officers arrested Rigoberto Lopez, 21, on Sunday and charged him with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection to the stabbings along the A line.
The first attack happened Friday, shortly before midnight, when an adult male was pronounced dead after being stabbed in the neck and torso on the A train. Two hours later, an unconscious 45-year-old female with multiple stab wounds was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
A 67-year-old man and a 43-year-old individual were also stabbed over the weekend on the A train. Both are expected to survive.
An additional 500 officers were deployed to patrol above and below ground within the subway system over the weekend in response to the seemingly unprovoked attacks.
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The West African country of Guinea revealed that the Ebola virus has become an epidemic again.
The country’s health system, which as been swamped with COVID patients, is now also having to tackle Ebola, Reuters reports.
The last outbreak ended up killing about 11,300.
The outlet noted that the country is also fighting outbreaks of yellow fever and measles.
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Police officers in Seattle were not able to respond to emergency calls on Saturday after a snow barrier was erected around their precinct by protestors.
In a video posted on Instagram, one man said “Antifa goons blocked the exit of the East Precinct with a pile of snow tonight, in an effort to stop vehicles from responding to emergency calls.” The video shows a police car attempting to drive over the snow and failing.
The obstruction was eventually cleared, but protesters continued to shout and throw snowballs at officers.
It is unclear if any arrests were made.
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A pack of wild monkeys broke into a home in India and snatched newborn twins, killing one of them.
The mother, R. Buvaneswari, 26, said she was home alone with the twins and her 5-year-old daughter when the primates broke in and stole the babies. She spotted a monkey holding one of the infants which she said neighbors chased away and rescued the little girl. The other child was discovered floating dead in a moat, the India Times reported.
While the incident is the “rarest of rare” according to a district forest officer, this isn’t the first time monkeys have attacked babies in India.
In 2019, a monkey snatched a 16-day-old infant. The child was later found dead at the bottom of a well, according to The Sun.
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A 10-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot in his front yard.
According to multiple reports, the child was playing outside his home Sunday afternoon when shots rang out. He was conscious when first responders arrived and rushed him to the hospital.
Investigators told the Los Angeles Times that they are looking for two or three men who they believe fired the shots from a light-colored sedan. They did not say if the boy was the intended target.
The boy’s current condition was not shared.
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More than 2.5 million people in Texas were without power yesterday after an unusually harsh winter storm swept through the area.
Temperatures in north Texas were below zero Monday morning and only reached highs of 10-20 degrees by the afternoon. Overnight, temperatures were expected to plunge again, with more snow to fall tonight into tomorrow morning.
The storm also halted all flights in and out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport due to “ice and snow.”
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is shirking blame for covering up how many elderly people were dying from Covid-19 in 2020.
On Monday, he said that while he regrets the delay in getting information to the legislature, the information “void” was because of the “pressure everyone else was under.”
Democrat New York Assemblyman Ron Kim says authorities should investigate Cuomo and his administration: “We have a moral duty to speak up against their egregious actions and hold everyone involved accountable, including the governor,” he said.
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling for an independent commission to investigate the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi said the group will try to explain a root cause for the violence — calling the incursion a “domestic terrorist attack.”
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
To Tell the Truth / ABC / 7:00 pm
Young Rock / NBC / 7:00 pm
The Resident / FOX / 7:00 pm
Kenan / NBC / 7:30 pm
Black-ish / ABC / 8:00 pm
This Is Us / NBC / 8:00 pm
Prodigal Son / FOX / 8:00 pm
Mixed-ish / ABC / 8:30 pm
Big Sky / ABC / 9:00 pm
Nurses / NBC / 9:00 pm
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Showbiz News
“Bachelorette” alum Rachel Lindsay is leaving Bachelor Nation.
The 35-year-old, who made history as the first black “Bachelorette” in 2017, recently admitted she is preparing to cut ties with the ABC franchise.
On her “Higher Learning” podcast, Lindsay recently said “I can’t take it anymore. I’m contractually bound in some ways. But when it’s up, I am too. I can’t do it anymore.”
Lindsay has been outspoken in the past about the franchise’s lack of diversity and has previously said she no longer wants to be “affiliated” with it unless major changes are implemented.
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HBO unveiled the first official trailer for Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” recut.
The streaming service announced in May that they were giving the director a second chance to recut the theatrical released of “Justice League,” complete with new material, characters and reshoots.
The film — now four hours long — teams popular heroes like Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Cyborg against villains Steppenwolf, Darkseid and The Joker.
The flick, which originally came out in 2017, will be available both on the streamer and in theaters next month.
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Morgan Wallen’s album “Dangerous: The Double Album” has topped the Billboard 200 chart for the fifth week amid his racial slur scandal.
While Wallen told fans not to downplay the racist language, it appears they have chosen to send him a message through music sales.
While country radio has canceled Wallen, his fans remain loyal.
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Rob Schneider is worried about the state of public schools in America.
The dad-of-three, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the matter, writing “We are witnessing a new kind of child abuse: bought and paid for with YOUR tax dollars. The collapse of public schools who follow this example will surely follow. History will not look back at this kindly.”
He shared a video in his post that showed a teacher in her classroom full of desks surrounded by plexiglass shields. As she sits in the middle desk in the back row, she shows the “obstructed view of the board” and asks “So I’m just wondering when we ordered $5 million worth of plexiglass, did we have a classroom of 28 desks set up to where the school board members could sit in them and see what this was really going to be like?”
The teacher was asked by the school district to remove her post, according to the Post and Courier.
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The director of an upcoming docuseries on Tekashi69 says the rapper is a “horrible human being” with “no morals or talent,” but is a “social media mastermind” who has an “uncanny ability to spark a reaction.”
“I think viewers will be shocked to realize how hyper calculated he is, “Supervillain” director Karam Gill told The Post.
The three-part “Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6is9ine” debuts on Feb. 21 on Showtime.
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After being axed from “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” over some conservative tweets, actress Gina Carano is hitting back.
Carano has joined The Daily Wire to develop, produce and star in a film that will be available exclusively to members as the company looks to bolster its entertainment division.
While details are being kept under wraps, Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro said that they could not “be more excited to work with Gina,” who added, “They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.”
Meanwhile, fans are petitioning to have Disney bring the actress back.
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Executives working on the docuseries focused on Colin Kaepernick are implementing new security measures after a threat at the hands of anti-BLM protestors.
Production sources told TMZ that an anti-BLM group was allegedly planning a protest last Friday at a location shoot. While no protestors showed up, the threat caused “worry among cast and crew.”
The project, “Colin in Black and White,” chronicles Kaepernick’s high school years and the racism he confronted. It also highlights events that inspired him to take the jump (or knee) toward social activism.
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Michael Jordan is donating $10 million to open two new health clinics near his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina.
The NBA legend has partnered with Novant Health, a non-profit health care group with hospitals and medical centers throughout NC.
The organization said MJ’s donation will bring “comprehensive primary care, including behavioral health and social support services, to the area’s most vulnerable communities.”
The goal is for the two clinics to be open early next year.
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ABC has suspended chief national correspondent Matt Gutman for violating a company policy on COVID safety.
An insider said the suspension came after Gutman went to a hospital for a story without first getting permission from management. It was not immediately clear how long the suspension will last.
Gutman was also suspended last year after falsely stating the all four of Kobe Bryant’s daughters were on the helicopter that crashed, killing the late NBA star. He later apologized on air and acknowledged his mistake on social media.
A spokesperson for the network declined to comment on the recent suspension, as did Gutman.
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As filming for “Mission: Impossible 7” draws to a close, the initial plan of jumping right into production on the franchise’s eighth edition has been altered by Paramount.
Sources told Deadline that the decision is “simply down to the shifting release calendar” as star Tom Cruise will now be needed on promotional duties for his other flick, “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Once that film has rolled out this July — hopefully to packed cinemas — production on “MI: 8” can begin.
“Mission: Impossible 7” is scheduled to be released this November, while “Mission: Impossible 8” is set for Nov. 2022.
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Sports
There was one team that Matthew Stafford did not want to get traded to.
The new Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback told the Detroit Free Press that he “did not want to be traded to the New England Patriots.” He explained that when talking to his former team, the Detroit Lions, he stated that he wanted to go to a “team that was ready to win a championship” and didn’t think he was the right “fit” for New England.
Stafford will take over for the Rams this upcoming season after the team traded away QB Jared Goff.
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Day of the Year
National Almond Day
National Do A Grouch a Favor Day
Fat Tuesday
Paczki Day
Fastnacht Day
National Pancake Day
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On This Date
1923 – The barrier into the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen is first unsealed.
The passage leading into it had been excavated the preceding November. Once inside, it was evident that the room had been broken into at least twice, though it had likely been hundreds of years since.
The tomb was a multi-room complex that took years to carefully catalog and investigate. A year later, the sarcophagus was opened.
Of course, archeology suggests Tut was a young King, beginning his reign at 8 or 9 years old and serving for 10 years, the son of the Egyptian god Ra.
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1960 – USS Triton begins its underwater circumnavigation of the earth.
The ship left on this date on the premise of doing a shakedown cruise. Once underway, Captain Edward L. Beach explained to the crew the real mission.
They used a grouping of rocks in the Atlantic called Saint Paul and Peter Rocks as the starting point for the official mission. The voyage took 60 days and 21 hours
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1961 – Explorer 9 is launched from the Wallpos Flight Facility in Virginia.
The satellite took measurements and readings from the upper and lower reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere.
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1985 – Muslim clerics form the political group Hezbollah in protest of Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 1982.
Translated from Arabic, the name means “Party of God.”
While the organization has gained political clout across the Middle East, it has also proactively built and trained an army. Its official flag even includes an arm holding a gun. Today its focus is on the pushback and eradication of Israel. It believes much of the violence in Syria and Lebanon over the last years is part of a larger Zionist plot.
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2005 – The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, an international agreement regarding carbon emissions that some argue cause global warming.
Signers of the agreement had to acknowledge that global warming was an imminent threat and that it’s caused by man-made emissions of carbon dioxide. Signers of the treaty took the obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their country over a multi-year time frame, but not without real consequences. Meanwhile, industrial producers like China and India were exempt from the rules.
It was signed by President Bill Clinton in the United States in 1998, but the Senate unilaterally rejected its ratification stateside.
Ultimately, the project was pointless. It expired in 2012 to little fanfare.
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2005 – National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces that the remainder of 2004-2005 NHL season would be cancelled.
The Players Association and League had failed to reach an agreement on pay cuts and revenue shares, which were at stake in the ongoing negotiations.
This marked the first time a professional sports league in North America had to cancel a season due to labor disputes, and the first time since 1919 the Stanley Cup wasn’t awarded.
That following summer, players ended a 310 day lockout with a new agreement.
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2019 – Pope Francis defrocks ex-cardinal and archbishop of Washington Theodore McCarrick for sexually abusing minors and adults.
He is the first Cardinal to be removed for sexual abuse.
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Birthdays
Denzel Curry – rapper – 26
Ava Max – pop singer – 27
YFN Lucci – rapper – 30
The Weeknd – singer – 31
Elizabeth Olsen – actress, “Silent House” – 31
Christopher Eccleston – actor, “Doctor Who,” “Legend” – 57
Ice T – rapper & actor “Law & Order: SVU” – 63
June Brown – soap opera star, “EastEnders” – 94
Born On This Date
Kim Jong-il – North Korean supreme leader – 1941 (d. 2011)
Margot Frank – older sister of Anne Frank – 1926 (d. 1945)
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Deaths
Steve Platt has died.
The Huntington University all-time winningest-coach and Indiana’s all-time leading scorer passed away Saturday of liver cancer.
A true Hall of Famer, Platt’s retired jersey hangs in the arena named after him on the University’s campus.
He was 73.
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Vincent Jackson has died.
The former NFL wide receiver was found dead Monday in a hotel room in Brandon, Florida. An investigation has been opened into his death.
Jackson played 12 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He was 38.
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